Do It Again (George Gershwin and Buddy DeSylva song)

"Do It Again" is an American popular song by composer George Gershwin and lyricist Buddy DeSylva. The song premiered in the 1922 Broadway show The French Doll, as performed by actress Irène Bordoni.

"Do It Again"
Song
LanguageEnglish
Composer(s)George Gershwin
Lyricist(s)Buddy DeSylva

Background

Gershwin recounted the origin of the song in 1934:

I was in the office of Max Dreyfus, my publisher, one day when Buddy DeSylva walked in. DeSylva said jokingly to me, "George, let's write a hit!" I matched him by saying, "O.K.!" I sat down at the piano, and began playing a theme which I was composing on the spot... Buddy listened for a few minutes and then began chanting this title—"Oh, Do It Again!," which he had just fitted to my theme.[1]

Gershwin began playing the song, described as "innocently sensual", at parties. Upon hearing the song, Irène Bordoni insisted that she perform the song in her show.[2] "Do It Again" first appeared in the Broadway play The French Doll, which premiered on February 20, 1922 at the Lyceum and ran for a total of 120 performances.[1]

Construction

In Edward Jablonski's book Gershwin: With a New Critical Discography, he writes that "Do It Again" has "bar-to-bar modulations, distinctive harmonies and un-Tin Pan Alley long-lined melody that mark it as one of Gershwin's finest creations."[3]

Success

Bordoni, the actress who performed the song in The French Doll, earned praise and success with the song's premiere. Alice Delysia's performance of the song (retitled as "Please Do It Again") in the 1922 London revue Mayfair and Montmartre was also well received. That same year, the Paul Whiteman Orchestra's recording found success and helped forge an "auspicious association" between the bandleader and Gershwin.[1] While Bordoni never recorded the song, Delysia did in 1933.[1][2] Other notable performances include Marilyn Monroe's 1952 live rendition before thousands of marines at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, which caused a "near riot", as well as the version that appears on Judy Garland's 1961 live album Judy at Carnegie Hall.[1]

Notable recordings

See also

References
  1. Pollack, Howard (2006). "14: From The French Doll to Our Nell (1922)". George Gershwin: His Life and Work. University of California Press. pp. 263–265. ISBN 0-520-24864-3. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  2. Hyland, William (2003). "2: Song Plugging". George Gershwin: A New Biography. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 32–33. ISBN 0-275-98111-8. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  3. Jablonski, Edward (1998). Gershwin: With a New Critical Discography. Da Capo Press. pp. 48–49. ISBN 0-306-80847-1. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
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